Stanwood Elementary School will get a $17 million renovation starting next summer.

Hempfield Area school directors have unanimously approved the project for the school on Arona Road in New Stanton, near Interstate 70 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Foreman Architectural and Engineering Consultants was hired as the construction manager at a cost of $645,000. The firm will design the renovations and monitor the work.

Originally, the district planned to renovate Stanwood, Wendover Middle School near the West Point housing development, and the high school complex at Route 136 and Middletown Road.

The district, however, has only $19.1 million available for facility renovation. So the directors decided Aug. 18 to do scaled-down renovations at Stanwood and put on hold the plans for Wendover and the high school.

Plans call for the installation of new air conditioning, heating and floors, conversion of a shop area into a kindergarten classroom, and modifications to improve accessibility for students with disabilities.

Growth in the northern and northeast areas of the township may prompt the district to consider building an elementary school to replace the existing Bovard Elementary School in the future, according to Superintendent Terry Foriska.